Democracy is the only solution to all problems:PM Raja Pervaiz

Islamabad: Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf Wednesday said democratic system, protected by Constitution is the best system to ensure progress and prosperity of the country, welfare of the masses and to serve the people in a legal way.

Addressing a function here at Prime Minister Secretariat, to regularize the contract employees of National Highway Authority, the Prime Minister said, “ of the people and it is the only way to ensure peace, progress and prosperity of the country through constitutional way.”

The Prime Minister said no one can claim to be a true representative of the masses as election is the only process to determine the real representatives of the people of Pakistan.”Everyone has the right to participate in the election process and it is the power of the masses who will determine who will be their real representative,” he added.

The Prime Minister said democratic process is only controlled by the Constitution and the elected parliament is custodian of this process. Without naming anyone, the Prime Minister said, “We do not need lecture on democracy as the PPP is the only political party that has rendered sacrifices for democracy.”He said those who are giving lecture on democracy and reforms, should prove their worth, what had they done for democracy in the past in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister said that it was the credit of the PPP that its leaders Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto gave the right of vote to the people and started the democratic process in the country. He said it was also the contribution of the PPP that the present elected government following 2008 elections restored real democracy in the country after a nine year long dictatorship.

The Prime Minister said despite fragile democracy that was facing challenges in 2008, the parliament was successfully completing its full tenure and had taken a number of steps for the welfare of the people and progress of the country.The elections are very near, every one has the right to contest these polls and judge their popularity and whosoever will be given the mandate from the people would have the right to be real representative of the people and rule the country.He said elections are the only way to decide who had the mandate of the people and every one should adopt this method.He said the parliament was completing its tenure for the first time in the history of the country and the democratic system would become a strong institution and no one can damage it.He said, “Non-democratic and unconstitutional governments have no respect at global level.” The Prime Minister said if there is any need to rectify any error, even then elections and the democracy is the only way to do so.He said the PPP government is in power because it got votes in the elections and then got support from its allies, therefore, it was able to form the government through democratic manner, which is the real and right way.

The Prime Minister said some elements did not believe in this democratic system, but if they had any other proposal, it can be implemented through election process as there is no other alternative to the election and democracy.Referring to the achievements of the democratic government, the Prime Minister said despite challenges and exporting 2.6 million tonnes of wheat in 2008, the democratic government of the PPP with the support of its allies took bold decisions and made the country self-sufficient in wheat and even the country is able to export it.He said under the policy of providing, generating and protecting jobs, the PPP reinstated 11,000 terminated employees and confirmed over 104,000 temporary and daily wage employees.He also announced to confirm all the remaining temporary employees of National Highway Authority.

The Prime Minister said the PPP government faced the challenges of extremism and terrorism and assured full support to Pakistan Army in the war against terror.He said the peace and security has been improved as compared to 2008 and it is better today than before. Referring to the importance of roads network in the country, the Prime Minister said a better roads infrastructure was directly related to the development of the country.He said government is committed to further improve the roads network so that there could be more progress and prosperity in the country.Referring to a story of German leader Hitler, the Prime Minister said Hitler also asked his economic experts to give one suggestion for the progress and prosperity of the country and his experts had told him that there should be a comprehensive road network from North to South, East to West and connected with the small towns to achieve the progress and prosperity.He said progress and prosperity of any country is judged with the road network adding that the PPP government always gave due attention to improve this network in the country.

Earlier, the Minister for Communication Dr. Arbab Alamgeer in his welcome address said NHA has been playing very active in supervising the road network in the country.He said out of 260,000 km long road network in the country, the NHA has only 12,300 km that is just 4 percent of the total network but it caters more than 95 percent commercial traffic.He said due to effective and comprehensive system, the revenue of the NHA from the toll has been increased from Rs 8 billion to Rs.17 billion in the last five years.He expressed the hope that with the increase in revenue from the toll, the NHA will become self-sufficient to meet its expenditures.

The Minister said presently, the NHA needs Rs. 30 billion annually for the maintenance of the road networks.He said 1700 employees of the NHA have been regularized and asked the Prime Minister to regularize the remaining 635 contractual employees which was accepted by the Prime Minister.The Prime Minister also distributed letters of confirmation among the employees of the NHA who had been regularized.